Page 64 of Broken Player

"Can we do that again?" she asked, her words almost slurred and a soft smile on her lips.

Chuckling, I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Anytime you want, Freckles." I held myself over her body, not wanting to move. I didn't want to slip out of her and disconnect us. I never wanted to be apart from Ryan again.

Now that reality was seeping back in, I had to wonder. What would happen now?

Waking up with my body wrapped around Ryan was an experience I wanted to have every fucking day until the day I died. I didn't want to open my eyes because that meant facing reality, and I didn't know what Ryan was going to do today or what last night meant for the two of us. All I knew was that if she went through with this wedding, I'd never recover.

It would wreck me.

I had no idea what time it was. All I knew was that the sun was shining brightly overhead, so when I finally cracked my eyes open, I had to immediately slam them closed. Ryan shifted in my arms, her hair tickling my face. She stretched, pressing her very naked body against mine and waking my dick right the fuck up.

My hand drifted down the curves of her body before I rested it on her hip, lightly digging my fingers in and pulling her ass back against me. "Fuck," I groaned, wanting nothing more than to bury myself inside of her and keep her here in my arms all day, forgetting about everything else.

Her sharp gasp had a grin breaking out across my face as she felt the effect she had on me. But the spell was broken when she abruptly sat up, the thin blanket we managed to pull over ourselves last night falling down and exposing her very naked tits. My eyes immediately dropped to them. I couldn't fucking help myself when it came to Ryan. Her body was worthy ofworship, and I planned to throw myself at her altar again and again.

"What time is it?" she squeaked, frantically searching through all the bedding and discarded clothes for her phone.

I grabbed her hand and turned it over, placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist. "I think we both left our phones up front, Freckles."

"That's right." As much as I didn't want her to ever get dressed, I knew she'd never relax now. I handed her her clothes and watched as she quickly pulled them on, hopping down off the tailgate and throwing open the passenger door.

I laid back and stared at the clear blue sky while I waited, the events of last night replaying in my mind. Blood rushed to my cock when I thought about how, after the first time, Ryan climbed on top of me and rode me until she came so hard that we both passed out.

Finally, she came back around and climbed up into the back of the truck, a forlorn expression on her face. "It's already eleven. I was supposed to meet my sisters for hair and makeup an hour ago," she sighed.

Sitting up, I pulled her against me and ran my fingers through her tangled hair. "Please don't do this, Ryan. Don't marry Yates. I can tell you don't love him. I can tell you don't want to marry him. So why are you going through with it? Stay here with me. Whatever he's got on you, I can help. I'll never let anyone hurt you. I…" My mouth went dry. "I love you so fucking much. Please don't make me watch you marry another man. I don't know if I can survive it," I pleaded with her, my tone desperate.

She leaned back and looked at me, sliding her palm up my cheek and rubbing her thumb along the stubble of my jawline. Her dark eyes locked on mine, the depth of feeling I saw reflected my own back at me perfectly. "I love you, too. I alwayshave, and I always will. But I gave my word. I have to go," she said gently, but the words might as well have been knives stabbed into my chest. Every single one hurt. How could she still go through with marrying that tool after what we'd shared last night?

My heart was shredding in my chest, ripping apart into a million tiny pieces that were then set on fire. But I didn't say anything, because after I left all those years ago, I deserved this. I hurt her, and she moved on. Swallowing down my anguish, I got dressed. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. If I opened my mouth, I didn't know what might come out.

I might yell or say things I didn't mean, lashing out at the fucking torture I was going through right now. Or I might beg, but she didn't need that from me right now.

Helping her down, I slammed the tailgate shut and walked around to the passenger door, pulling it open and waiting until she climbed in. She watched my face, but I refused to make eye contact. This was all my fucking fault, and I didn't want to lose my shit, even as she ripped my heart out. I loved her, more than I'd ever loved anyone, and even if it killed me if she was happy with Yates, I'd somehow learn to deal with it. Or I'd drink myself to death trying. Time would tell.

"Would you mind dropping me off at Charlie's?" she asked quietly as she played with a lock of her hair and stared out the window.

I tossed her my phone across the bench. She was sitting against the door so fucking far away it felt like a physical blow, a loss of something I'd barely had just yesterday. "Put her address in the GPS," I grunted, barely keeping control over my emotions. I needed to hit something, scream, drink,somethingbefore I completely fell apart. But I was trapped in this truck with Ryan, and I couldn't do any of it. Instead, I gripped the wheel eventighter, my knuckles already white and aching, and gritted my teeth.

Thank fuck we were only about ten minutes away from Charlie's, and as I pulled up, Ryan finally turned to me. "Are you still coming to the ceremony?" she whispered, and I wanted to be so goddamn angry at her for having the balls to ask that of me, but I couldn't. Lifting my gaze, I searched her eyes, and I saw the desperation and fear in them. She was afraid and needed me. No matter how I felt, I'd never abandon her again.

I slumped against the seat, the anger in me momentarily fading as Ryan's despair filled me up instead. "Yeah, I'll be there," I confirmed.

She slid across the bench toward me and leaned forward slowly as if she were afraid I'd snap at her for touching me. In reality, her touch was the only thing I wanted. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to my cheek, and I closed my eyes, breathing her in one last time. I had no idea what would happen to us after today. I had a life in LA. I'd make sure I was always available to her, but I wouldn't physically be here. And she was about to start a new life with someone else.

"Thank you," she murmured before turning and quickly hopping out of the car. She didn't look back as she hurried into the building where her sister lived. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath before fumbling for my phone.

Maddox: What hotel are you at?

Connor: Quinn drove me to your house this morning.

Maddox: Meet you there in 45.

Tossing my phone onto the seat, I shifted into drive and started the long drive home, blasting angry music and hoping that if I got it loud enough, it'd block out my thoughts. It didn't work.

Turning onto the short, dusty drive that led to Everleigh Ranch, the anger I'd been trying to contain for the past hour or so bubbled to the surface with a vengeance. I stopped in front of the house and slammed my door, my heart banging against my ribs and my chest heaving as I tried to breathe. How the fuck could she marry someone else? Someone Iknewshe didn't love?

Connor stepped onto the porch, his eyes narrowing as he looked me over. He turned and went back inside, the screen door slamming behind his retreating form. Letting some of the rage I was feeling out, I roared like a goddamn animal, but it wasn't even close to enough. I watched as Connor opened the came back outside, jogging down the steps and tossing me a set of boxing gloves. He shoved his own hands into some padded gloves and held them out in front of me.

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